1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of disposable footwear. More particularly, the invention relates to a disposable sandal made from a single die-cut piece of sheet material.
2. Prior Art
There are many situations in which temporary use of footwear is desirable. Some examples of locations where temporary footwear may be utilized are health clubs and spas, hotels, hospitals, doctors"" offices and pedicure salons. Conventional footwear can, of course, be used on a temporary basis. However, reusable footwear raises concerns about hygiene. Therefore, a disposable footwear product is preferred for temporary use.
Numerous examples of inexpensive and/or disposable footwear are known in the prior art. These include the devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,914 to Marcoux, U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,985 to Yuan-Hsiang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,751 to Yamada, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,784 to Petker, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,183 to Huang.
The present invention provides a disposable sandal that is formed from a single piece of laminated sheet material comprising a layer of fabric and a layer of polyurethane foam. The sole of the sandal is shaped to generally conform to the outline of a human foot. A strap portion is formed as a band of the sheet material surrounding a heel portion of the sole. The strap portion is folded over and attached to a toe portion of the sole. A series of perforations are provided at the heel and/or toe portions of the sole so that the sandals may be conveniently sized to the user""s foot. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface of the sole is embossed with a skid-resistant pattern.